Emergency brake signal



March 11, 1941. Y J. RlEDMAlER 2,234,607

EMERGENCY BRAKE SIGNAL Filed Nov. 3, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F m Z Inventor Attorneys March 11, 1941. 5 REDMAIER 2,234,607

EMERGENCY BRAKE smrm.

Filed Nov. :5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnv nior Attorneys Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT H OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates broadly to automobiles and analogous automotive vehicles of the kind equipped with manually-operable emergency brakes and an electrical ignition system; and the invention has particular reference to a signal device for use in connection with the manually-operable emergency brake and the electrical ignition system for giving a warning to the operator of the vehicle to the end that the starting or attempting to start the automobile with the brake applied will be prevented; and the invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whereinf Figure 1 is an elevational view illustrating the application of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the interior of an automobile showing the signal lamp forming part of the invention mounted on the instrument board.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the switch forming part of the invention with the cover plate of the switch housing removed.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views taken substantially on the lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 3, and

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram further illustrating the application of the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that 5 indicates generally a portion of a conventional instrument board of an automobile while 6 indicates a bracket extending therefrom and to which is pivoted in a wellknown manner as at 1 the hand lever 8 forming part of the emergency brake system of an automobile. The lever 8 is provided with the usual detent 9 cooperable with the ratchet It for securing the lever 8 at the desired position of adjustment.

- In accordance with the present invention there is suitably mounted on the instrument board 5 of the automobile a signal lamp ill of the "flash type for flashing a signal to the operator when the ignition switch of the automobile is closed and the emergency brake i in brake-applied, or locked position.

The signal lamp III is connected with one side of a switch indicated generally by the reference numeral H through the medium of a wire l2, and the other side of the switch II is connected with one side of the ignition switch l3 of the automobile through the amperes indicator H as will be clear from a study of Figures 1 and 6.

The switch ll comprises a switch housing l5 of non-conductive material and provided with a removable cover plate l6 secured in position on the housing through the medium of screws or other fastening elements IT.

The housing i5 is mounted on a bracket plate l8 that is secured to the bracket 6 through the medium of a bolt or other fastening element l9 as shown in Figure 1.

For removably securing the switch housing or casing IS on the bracket plate l8 there are provided upper and lower clips 20 secured to the plate l8 and having end portions engaging the switch housing as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4.

Mounted in the switch housing l5 are contacts 2| and 22. The wire I2 is electrically connected with the contact 2i through the medium of a terminal bolt 23 while the wire leading from. one side of the amperage indicator M is electrically connected with the contact 22 through the medium of a terminal bolt 24. As shown in Figures 3 and 5 each of the contacts 2! and 22 is formed of an angle-shaped piece of metal which engages the top Wall and a side wall of 8. lug or projection l5 formed in the casing or housing l5, one projection extending from one side wall of the housing and the other from the opposite side wall thereof and each contact has its front edge extending beyond a projection, as shown in Figure 3. The bolts 23 and 24 are carried by the cover l6 and press against the contacts 2i and 22 as shown in Figure 5. Thus by removing the cover IS the contacts 2! and 22 are exposed so that they can be readily cleaned as can the inner ends of the bolts so as to insure good electrical connections between the bolts and the contacts.

For engagement with the projecting parts of the contacts 2i, 22 there is provided a bridge contact plate 25. The plate 25 is suitably mounted on one end of a rod 26 that slides through an opening provided therefor in one end wall of the switch housing l5, and the bridge contact 25 is normally urged to a position out of engagement with the contacts 2| and 22 through the medium of a. coil spring 21. 0011 spring 21 is disposed on the rod 25 between a fixed collar 28 on the rod and the aforementioned end wall of the switch casing l5 as shown in Fig. 3.

The outer or free end of the rod 26 is resiliently connected with the hand-brake lever I through the medium of a. coil spring 29 as shown.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the emergency brakes are released the E z E bridge contact will be substantially in the position shown in Fig; 3, and out of engagement with the contacts 2!, 22 oLswitch H. However, when the switch lever 8 is moved in a direction and to a position applying the emergency brakes rod 26 will move therewith against the action of spring 21 to engage the bridge contact 25 with the contacts 2|, 22. It will thus be seen that when the ignition switch I3 is closed and with the emergency brakes in this applied or locked position the circuit through the signal lamp it will be completed thus causing this lamp to flash on and oil and thereby give a visual signal to the operator that the emergency brakes are in this applied or locked position. Thus in this way is the possibility of the operator starting or attempting to' start the vehicle with the emergency brakes applied reduced to a minimum it not entirely prevented.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility, advantages and operation of an emergency brake signal for automobiles embodying the features of this invention will be had without a more detailed description.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a signal device of the class described, a

housing having one side open, a cover member assess? removably connected with the open side of the housing, said housing and cover member being formed of non-conducting material, a pair of spaced projections formed with the housing and located at the inner side walls thereof with said 5 projections terminating short of the open end of the housing. an angle-shaped contact strip on each projection with a part of each strip engaging the inner side wall of a projectionand another part engag n the top or the projection, the contacts projecting forwardly beyond the projections, bolts carried by the cover and pressing against the last-mentioned parts of the contacts, a bridge member for bridging the contacts by enga ing the projecting parts thereof 15 when moved to a certain positioma rod passing through one end of the housing and having its .inner end connected with the bridge member, a

projection on the rod, a spring on the rod between the projection and that end oi. the housing through which the rodpassesfor normally holding the rod in a position with the bridge member out of engagement with the contacts, a lever and a spring connecting the outer end of the rod with the lever for imparting movement to the rod when the lever is moved to cause the bridge member to engage the contacts.

JOHN S. RIEDMAIER. 

